The Harbor Picture Company announces the launch of its advertising department in London, alongside a raft of senior hires. The new division boasts key senior talent from across the industry. Joining Managing Director Dan Bennett is Head of VFX Production, Kirsty Murray, previously at Absolute and Glassworks, as well as Head of Colour Production Charlie Morris.
With more than 20 years of experience, VFX lead Fergal Hendrick is welcomed as Creative Director, 2D. Supported by Senior VFX Producers Abi Klimaszewska and Hannah Jarrold. This team joins award- winning colourist Alex Gregory, ECD Colour UK, as the team solidifies an end-to-end post production solution for clients. These strategic hires are part of Harbor’s continued growth in London, with further additions across colour, VFX, and sound set to be announced soon.
As Harbor UK Advertising, with studios at Turnmills Farringdon, the team has already completed a host of globally recognised campaigns including Waitrose’s festive whodunnit mystery ’Sweet Suspicion’, ‘Squad Busters’ with Uncommon and Caviar for Supercell, featuring Chris Hemsworth, Christina Ricci, Ken Jeong, Will Arnett and Auli’i Cravalho, ‘Never Just A Period’ with AMV BBDO and Smuggler for Bodyform UK, and ’40 Years of Christmas’ for Vodafone with Leo Burnett and Smuggler.
Harbor EVP of Post Production Massimo D’Avolio states: “At Harbor, we are a talent-driven, creatively-led studio dedicated to quality and craft. We’ve built an environment where artistry thrives and creative possibilities expand—where filmmakers, editors, colorists, designers, and sound artists can fluidly collaborate across every medium, from music videos and commercials to high-end television and feature films. This seamless integration fosters bold storytelling and elevates every project.”
“Harbor has a legacy synonymous with quality—the world’s best filmmakers trust Harbor with their craft. To bring that to London, and build upon it for the UK market is both an exciting opportunity and a natural evolution,” added Dan Bennett, Managing Director, Advertising UK. “We’ve spent the last 12 months, building the studio into what it is today, expanding upon the local foundation and establishing a strong presence. Some might see this as a new studio, while others have already heard the buzz—but now, we’re thrilled to officially announce our launch in the UK. This marks an exciting new opportunity, creating a true post production home for UK-based directors and production companies, no matter the format of filmmaking.”
Founded in New York in 2012, Harbor works alongside the world’s best filmmakers in both Entertainment and Advertising. The company has contributed to iconic, Oscar-nominated films such as Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women,” and Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers,” along with blockbuster tent-pole projects Lucasfilm’s’ “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” Marvel’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” Netflix’s “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” and Paramount’s “Mean Girls.” Over recent years, Harbor’s UK Entertainment division lists Universal’s “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” Netflix’s “Scoop,” MBK Productions & Brouhaha Entertainment’s “Firebrand,” and the episodic series “Joan” (ITV), “Black Doves” (Netflix), “Eric” (Netflix), and “Sweetpea” (SkyTV/Starz) among its credits. The addition of a dedicated advertising division now offers artists and filmmakers the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines under one roof.
Expanding the existing site at Turnmill Studios in Farringdon – where the Entertainment department has resided since early 2019 – Harbor offers three Dolby Atmos mix stages, two theatrical colour theatres, seven colour suites, six finishing suites, two ADR stages, and three screening rooms. Now offering advertising VFX, design, colour, sound, music supervision, VO, casting, and translation services, Harbor’s Turnmills studio is connected through Harbor’s secure private network to its global data centers. This network enables clients to work seamlessly across geographies—New York, London, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta—allowing creatives to choose the artist best suited to their project, regardless of location.
